Happy 2009

Well---we're home. We've unpacked all the suitcases and gifts, gone grocery shopping, and are truly settled again. That was a lot of work!!!

We had a nice visit to Texas and got to spend good time with our families. The kids did great on the 9 hour drive both to and from there and overall it was lots of fun. We were all sick part of the time, but we still enjoyed being there. We did not get to make all the connections and visit with our extended families as much as we had planned since we got sick- but we did get to see everyone at least once over the break!! We were actually all exhausted by the end of our 2 week trip and I welcomed 2009 in my PJ's, being cozy and comfortable at home. We drove back to Kansas on New Year's Day.

I am constantly amazed that the time has flown by so quickly and 2008 is now gone. It was a year full of changes, growth, and pleasant memories for us. We've been so blessed and looking back, I realize that we are not grateful enough for the goodness God has lavished on us over the past year. Don't get me wrong here, we are thankful for the blessings God has given us, but I know we become complacent to the good things and take it for granted that it will always be "good". Over the holiday break in Texas, I had a huge reminder of the evidence that I take good things for granted every day. Our family was struck by a stomach flu. UUUGGGGHHHH!! Yuck! No fun! Terrible! Did I mention, my FAMILY was struck....not just one or two of us-- it swept it's way through (no pun intended :)) ALL of us, for the last 7 days. We quarantined ourselves from our families, bleached, sanitized, changed bedding, and cleaned like crazy---but this bug still managed to hit some of our extended family members too-(Sorry Angela, Amberly, Katie, Braden, London, Dawson :() But-- this little illness was a good reminder to me that my health, feeling great every day is taken for granted. I felt so rotten when I was sick. I was weak, exhausted and just felt terrible. I need to be continually thankful for all good things- my health and my families' health included at the top of that list!! :)

On the adoption front-- all is going fine. Our completed dossier was sent to our agency on December 15 and we applied for advance visa's with CIS and got our fingerprinting on that day also. We were told that the CIS approval letter would take 60-90 days to get back, but we were pleased to find the very non-descript, plain envelope with the approval letter in our mail stack when we returned. Apparently, it was processed in 4 days. Wow!!

Our dossier has NOT made it to Ethiopia yet-- our agency says it will hopefully be sent this next week. They had some expiration date issues on their agency paperwork and had to get those things resolved before they could send our documents. I'm so glad they caught those expiration date problems and let us know about the hold up. We will be officially waiting for a referral when our documents arrive in Ethiopia and they project a max wait of 1-2 months for a referral. Don't worry- we'll keep you posted!!

In the meantime, please pray for the 2 specific children God has planned to join our family. I'm praying that God comforts them in such a time of turmoil, confusion and loss. That God protects them from any harm and that God provides for their physical needs to be met until He places them in our home. I'm also praying that once they join our home- they will be receptive to our family, they'll accept our love, heal emotionally from the losses and hurts they've endured in their pasts, and adjust to all the changes with resilience. Please join me in praying for them also.

I've been pondering these words of Jesus this morning--

"When you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just." Luke 14:13-14

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:17

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven." Matthew 6: 19-20

Blessings-- AMY